5 environmental problems for the attention of Little Ecologists

A clean environment and a healthy Planet is a rather complicated task but at the same time possible to achieve with a lot of effort and dedication. An important role in this process belongs to the little ones, who feel the most the harmful effects of environmental pollution and who at the same time mobilize in order to identify the most effective solutions. In this issue of the Magazine, our dear little Ecologists, we provide you with some problems to solve in order to become "Heroes of the environment"!

The rapid increase in the earth's temperature causes a lot of problems for plants, animals, people and the environment.

 TASKS:

1. Ask your parents to help you plant a tree. Trees and plants help absorb carbon dioxide from the Earth's atmosphere.
2. Ask the family to use the car as little as possible. Walk, bike or take the bus to where you need to go! Carpooling is also a great way to get around and gives you extra time to spend with friends and family!
3. Tell your family to sort the used paper correctly and place it in the blue bin! Keep in mind that the paper collected in the mixture and, respectively, that contains grease stains, adhesives, paints can no longer be recycled. And don't forget that trees absorb carbon dioxide, thus reducing the effects of global warming!

As the population grew, so did the consumption requirements, which endangered the reserves of natural resources. As an example, water consumption increased 9 times, and energy consumption - 16 times. The active use of land surfaces in various economic activities amplifies soil erosion processes 15 times faster than natural conditions would cause. As a result, in the last 50 years, about ¼ of the soils, 1/5 of the arable land and 1/3 of the forest areas were subjected to the degradation process. All this determines the fact that the environment ceases to be a free space and becomes a rare good.

TASKS:

1. Ask your family to use less heat and air conditioning. Heating our homes in winter and cooling them in summer consumes a lot of energy, which puts a strain on existing energy resources. Instead of turning on the fireplace, put on a sweater or use a blanket to keep warm!
2. Save electricity. To help save the environment there are many easy ways to use less electricity. The easiest thing is to remember to turn off the light when you leave a room! Also, unplug any technical equipment, even if it is not in use, it consumes energy from the Earth!
3. Save water! Something as simple as turning off the water while brushing your teeth makes a huge difference to Planet Earth. By doing this, you manage to save up to 95 liters of water every month! You can also shorten your shower by one minute to save up to 568 liters of water per month! Another great way to save water is to turn off the water while washing your hands with soap and then turn it on to rinse your hands. And be sure to tighten any leaking faucets!

Plastic packaging, containers and water bottles are polluting our oceans and lands and causing harm to people, animals and plants around the world!

TASKS:

1. Use only reusable water bottles in the family. There are so many cold water bottles that you can use again and again to help reduce plastic pollution. This can be as simple as saving the plastic bottle used at lunch yesterday by cleaning it and reusing it tomorrow!
2. Remind parents to bring reusable bags from home when shopping at the grocery store! You can buy cloth bags at the grocery store or reuse the plastic ones you have at home.
3. Separately collect all plastic cans and bottles generated by your family and place them in the yellow bin. Later they will be recycled!
4. Bring lunches to school in a container and not in different plastic bags each time!

The population is growing so fast, and so is the amount of stuff we use and throw away every day! The earth can't handle all our trash, so we need to start thinking about ways to reduce, reuse and recycle what we use.

TASKS:

1. Ask your parents to help you create a recycling program at home. Work with your family to decide which items can be recycled, such as newspapers, boxes, bottles and plastic bottles. Involve parents in interactive recycling actions but also respecting the requirements of a separate collection. Before throwing anything away, make sure that this product can still be used or repaired!
2. Be careful how you use used batteries, do not play with them because you are putting your health at risk. These used batteries are hazardous waste and must be collected separately to be handed over to authorized collection centers. In this sense, together with the parents, create a special box for this hazardous waste, when it is full, together with the parents, you can take it to one of the nearby authorized centers. Do the right thing to keep these harmful products out of the oceans and off the land!
3. Start a school recycling program. Talk to the teachers and organize a school recycling program that all students can participate in to save planet Earth!

Planet Earth gives us everything we need to live a happy and healthy life... but sometimes we don't know how to say thank you for everything Earth gives us. We must do our best to show that we are grateful for what we have!

TASKS:

1. Spend time in nature. Instead of watching TV tonight or playing indoors...why not go outside and play? There are many wonderful things you can do outside, such as playing a sport, taking your dog for a walk, going to the beach, or planning an outdoor playtime with the neighborhood kids!
2. Keep the school and the neighborhood free of litter. The more we care about our Earth, the happier it will be. Make sure you don't leave litter around. Every waste has its place, don't forget to collect it separately and place it in the bins, respecting the rule (PLASTIC - in the bin yellow, BOTTLE – in the dumpster green and PAPER – in the trash blue).

Every child can become an Environmental Hero if they solve these 5 problems and take each task seriously!